Though Robert Zemeckis' new film The Walk is in large part based on the stunt that real-life wire-walker Philippe Petit pulled off in 1974 — which, if you didn't know, involved him and a group of accomplices attaching steel wires to the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center only for Petit to walk across it — it also goes a lot deeper into the story than that. Featured alongside Petit (played spectacularly by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a group of French and American accomplices including his girlfriend Annie: a fiery French musician and art student portrayed by French-Canadian actress Charlotte Le Bon.
Upon viewing the film, it's clear that the role is perfect for Le Bon — something that is, likely, due in large part to Le Bon's influence. As she divulged to Bustle herself, she felt protective of her portrayal of Annie because of everything that Petit and Annie's real-life counterparts went through in their relationship. "I was kind of protective of my character when I was talking to Philippe," she says of her depiction of Annie in the film. "I was just kind of analyzing him and asking him questions about him, but I didn't want to know anything about Annie — she was my own."
Sure enough, Le Bon's portrayal of Annie in The Walk is not only moving, but it also feels extremely personal. Below, check out Le Bon speaking more about her depiction of Annie in the film, as well as how she prepared to portray the character.
The Walk hits theaters nationwide on Oct. 9.
Image: Tanya Ghahremani/YouTube
